How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight?

Posted by Cynthia Holzapfel | 410 Comments

Although many fad diets that create rapid weight loss have come and gone over the years, it is encouraging to note that the apple cider vinegar diet leads to gradual weight loss. It would be nice if we could shed pounds quickly and never see them again, but experience has shown that weight that leaves easily comes back easily. If you lose weight quickly, your body will oblige you by kicking in mechanisms to make it more likely this weight will slip back on in no time. But if you can be patient and do not expect instant results, your fat cells will adjust to their new size more willingly and not insist on contributing on your waistline.

When you give it some thought, it makes good sense that drinking apple cider vinegar before meals would help with weight loss. Apples are a good source of pectin, and including pectin in your diet can make you feel fuller and more satisfied. Since apple cider vinegar contains the same amount of pectin as apples (one apple has about 1.5 grams pectin), it can suppress your appetite in a similar way.

There is also good science behind why apple cider vinegar would encourage weight loss even more effectively than eating raw apples. In general, acids help with the digestion of protein, the building blocks for some of our hormones, especially growth hormone. We’ve seen how this hormone is instrumental in breaking down fat cells. By increasing the acid present in your stomach before a meal, you’ll ensure the chances for thorough digestion and increase the availability of protein for hormone synthesis.

Greater protein utilization helps the formation of growth hormone, the substance that keeps the body’s metabolism going while we’re at rest. This is why it is important to drink apple cider vinegar before or with your evening meal.

Because apple cider vinegar stimulates digestion, it also reduces the amount of time that fats remains in the digestive tract. It’s important that your body gets a chance to remove key nutrients from your food, and conditions that contribute to diarrhea can be life-threatening. But at the same time, it can be unhealthful to have food remain in the intestines for too long. If fats present longer than necessary during digestion, more fats will be absorbed.

Apple cider vinegar can improve the body’s utilization of iron, a nutrient that acts like firestarter for fuel. Iron is a key component in substances that carry oxygen to the cells and hold it there. Acids (like the acetic acid found in apple cider vinegar) help release iron in the food you eat and make it more available to be a building block for oxygen-carrying hemoglobin and oxygen-attracting myoglobin. Oxygen is as essential for burning energy in the body as it is for a fire to burn in a fireplace. It’s the ability of apple cider vinegar to increase iron utilization and energy consumption in the body that makes it such a supportive food for weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar works at the very beginning of the digestive process to stimulate your appetite and increase your interest in food. Normally, you wouldn’t think of this as being the direction you want to go in if you’re trying to lose weight. But apple cider vinegar works positively to support your efforts by increasing your interest in whole foods. Vinegar is well known as a stimulator for the taste buds. It’s the secret ingredient in ketchup, salad dressings, and other condiments that keeps you coming back for more. If your taste buds are working well, it’s easier to appreciate the wonderful, complex flavors of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans—all foods which will help regulate your blood sugar level and improve metabolism. You won’t fall prey as easily to the tandem diet busters: salt and fat.

Apples are a great source of potassium, and likewise, apple cider vinegar, taken on a regular basis, will contribute the potassium you need to help balance the sodium in your diet. In fact, try replacing salt in your diet with apple cider vinegar. Use it to top foods you might be tempted to salt, such as vegetables or protein foods. (A little vinegar over a plate of beans is a regional favorite in many parts of America.) Salt is often present in the foods you eat as a flavor enhancer for fat. So besides increasing the amount of water weight you carry, salt can tempt you to eat more of those fatty foods—French fries, pastries, high-fat meats or meat substitutes, etc.—than you might consume otherwise.

Here is my recommendation for taking apple cider vinegar to lose weight, based on the work of Dr. Jarvis and others:

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410 comments on “How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight?”

I have used Apple cider vinegar myself and i have lost more than 40lb of my weight in less than 4 months.I started taking it when i found out that i was diabetic.Your article is very is informative but you did not mention that Apple cider vinegar can also helps to reduce/cure diabetes.

I have setup small wp site: http://Www.youcancurediabetes.com –where I have mentioned Apple cider vinegar and other remedies for weight loss and to cure diabetes. Your site is good, please keep your hard work going.

I’ve started to take apple cider vinegar, mainly because of ibs and so to help flush out the plaque and bacteria in the colon, also for better nutrient absorption. Does it flush out the good bacteria too tho?

I was happy to read about the great protein synthesis and GH production because i’m male and currently trying to bulk up in the gym. And so am concerned of the weight loss.
or is this weight loss specific to fat loss? and further how does it react to good fats?

Tympestt, I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t take the vinegar straight — I understand it’s really hard on tooth enamel that way. I wonder, too, whether it might be too acidic for the stomach taken straight. Maybe at least put it in 1/4 cup water, and make sure to brush your teeth afterwards!

Hi Shanthi, I don’t think it could do any harm if taken with water before meals but for a 13 year old, more activity would probably be better. Often a growth spurt helps with that baby fat around the belly, so hopefully with exercise and a good diet that extra fat will disappear.

Lorraine, I am not familiar with cider vinegar pills, so I can’t comment on if and how they’d work. I wonder if they’d be hard on the stomach; though the sensible thing would be to take them with lots of water. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

Maureen, that’s a lot of vinegar– and though this article is written by a different expert, I’d say to be careful; the acidity could be hard on both your stomach and teeth. make sure you take the vinegar w/ plenty of water, and brush your teeth afterwards. Or dial it down to 1 T per cup of water and see if you still reap the benefits.

Kay, there is no way to know this … it also depends on so many other factors; how much/what do you eat, amount of activity you get, etc. But try it for a week and see what happens; report back to us here and let us know!

Hey I’m curently substituting 2 of my meals with a special k shake & the 1 meal that I do eat I do the 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mix wit a glass of water. My concern is I’m I gonna get the same effect from intaking only 1 mixture of the apple cider vinegar & water a day, as you would if you do the 3 intakes a day?

Marnie, since this article was written by a guest contributor, it’s hard for me to answer such specific questions on this with any degree of accuracy or expertise. the only thing to do is to try it for a week and see what your results are. But I’m more concerned that you’re replacing two meals, as I’m not sure that’s sustainable over the long run. Good luck!

I take 2 TBSP before each meal. No water. Like someone said before, I couldnt get it down of I had to drink it. I have heard to put natural honey in the water of the taste is to bitter but have not tried it myself. My questions is this; Sometimes I forget to take it before my meal and will take it during or after, do you know if it still has the same effect? I have been taking the A.C.V. for 2 wks and I am down 2lbs. I was told when I started to expect about 1-2lbs a week. I have found many of the things mentioned in the article to be true. I suffer from chronic fatigue, depression, I am obese and so on…I am experiencing an energy surge, clearer thinking and a craving for fruits & veggies. Thank You for this article, it is very helpful & inspirational.

Becky, I’m glad that this post has been helpful to you. I wonder, though, if you should chase down the vinegar with some water. I’d be worried that all that acid would be hard on your stomach and teeth. I really can’t say if the vinegar would have the same effect taken with or after your meal. That would certainly be hard to quantify, but if anything it can’t hurt.

An energy surge and craving fruits and veggies are good signs! As soon as you are able, add movement into your daily routine. Activity is the key to sustained weight loss.

This is my first time seeing this article, but I’ve been drinking an apple cider vinegar drink for about a month, and I am starting to lose stubborn abdominal fat with no other change. Also, my complexion has improved. I take 2 tsp. of vinegar, 8-9 drops liquid stevia, and the juice from half a lemon, with a full glass of water. It’s actually quite tasty that way, I really like it.

I’ve heard about acv and have been trying it for about a week. No changes in weight loss but my stomach is feeling less bloated after meals. My question is will it still work if I drink it throughout the day? Like before and after eating? I usually drink a glass of acv then drink some green tea. I’ve cut out any other liquids cause I have been having trouble loosing those last extra pounds and as a full time student I don’t have enough time to hit the gym.

Claudia, it’s really hard to say if it will work. I hope you are drinking it in a glass of water, otherwise it will be hard on the stomach and on your teeth! Give it a try and let us know how you make out.

Hi,
Im drinking acv only once a day, I wonder if this will have the same effect as if drinking it twice a day. In the morning I eat cereal or drink a shake then drink acv wit my lunch meal and for dinner im eating vegetables. If its recommended to drink acv twice a day with what meals should I take it or should I just continue to drink it once a day?

Rose, all this information is anecdotal, but my sense is that if you drink the ACV in water before both of your main meals rather than just one, it would probably have more effect. Do let us know if you see any results.

Jasmine, in the article it says that taking 2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water before each meal on a regular basis leads to weight loss. So yes, I’m afraid this needs to be done on a daily basis for it to work. Try also adding a little lemon juice and a few drops of liquid stevia as another reader suggests; it’s good that way — almost tastes like lemonade.

Hi, I am new to drinking ACV. I was wondering if I take my ACV with a bottle of water (which is usually about 20 fl oz.) will I still get the same effect compared to 8oz. ?? I workout 3 times a week, and I have a fairly balanced diet, but I’m having trouble losing this horrendous belly fat. Thanks in advance.

Bailey, I can’t say for sure whether that’s a good idea or not, but intuitively I’m not sure it would be a good thing to take the ACV in the water bottle you use to keep yourself hydrated. I think the concentration of the 1 to 2 tsp in one glass of water before meals is the formula recommended in this article. Good luck!

Marie, there’s really no way to predict. It also depends on what you are eating, how much activity you get, and how consistent you are with the ACV. ACV weight loss is generally known to be very slow, so unfortunately this is not a quick fix!

Hi ive been doing the avc diet for 2 weeks now although im using the braggs raw unfiltered acv i mix 2 tbsp with a few drops of lemon juice to a 16.9oz bottle of water 3-4 times a day. I eat my regular foods i dont eat diet stuff and have had great success. I have lost 12 lbs in the short time. I have also added exercise to my daily routine. I want to lose another 30 lbs.

Rock, I would still put the ACV in water — otherwise it might be hard on the stomach and the teeth. As far as whether it would be quicker, it’s hard to tell, it really varies according to body weight and overall activity. Paula, a 12-lb weight loss in a short time is amazing! Way to go …